Originally Posted by pdxtex

scenario - a semi decent road bike has been sitting up against a tree in my neighborhood getting slumpier and slumpier by the day. its locked up, albeit with a crappy cable lock and it clearly has been sitting there for at least three weeks. i asked at the bar that its locked in front of whether or not it belonged to any of their employees and they said nope.....its has clearly been either forgotten about, stolen and locked with a bad lock, or the owner has been thrown in the pokey or has not bothered to tend to it in quite some time. when does it become public domain for me to ride?!!! im don't want to sell it, but rather, would use it as a bar bike. now im not condoning outright theft but if it sits there any longer, then sooner or later my robinhood mentality will kick in and i'd consider it urban fair game. bad kharma or urban recycling? it amazes me because coming back from urban adventures i often run into perfectly useable bikes that look they have been ditched. i'll take em home and try to find the owners through craigslist or our stolen bikes forum here in portland and no one ever gets back with me. i've found three this summer alone and gave one to my girlfriend.